Centering-form.



. G. D, MQARTHURH GENTERING FORM APPLICATION FILED MAR.18;1909. 93Q 993 Patented Aug 31, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.-

WITNESSES INVENTOR n 4 7 26.414, glam/mm O. D. MCARTHUR. OENTERING FORM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18,1909.

932,99s@ Patented Au 31, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

his 59 Wrrussses mverndn 4 Km $v I I wm nmrnn STATES PATENT orricn.

0mm D. IcABTHUB, ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

onnrnnmo nonm.

To-all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, CHARLES D. MoAR- THUR, a citizen of the United States residing at Arlin ton, in the county of I- ludson and State of ew' Jersey, have inventedcerta-in new and useful Improvements in Centering-Forms, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to, collapsible centeri-ng forms for use-in the construction-of aqueducts, sewers, conduits and the like and has for its primal? objects; the provision oi an improved orm which may be used both in the construction of the straight and curved portions of the passages; the

provision of an improved carriage capable of transporting, collapsingand' reverslng the i form sections employed; and the provision of improved form supportin and collapsing means upon the carriage. ne embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompaiig ing drawings, wherein 'gure' I is a diagrammatic plan view of a. series ofi-centering sections placed end to end, a part thereof being alternately reversed so as to form a straight portion of a conduit, and another part being arranged so as to from a curve in the conduit.

Figure 2'isa perspective view of the hinge connection" between the partsof a shell or section, su'c'h- View being upon an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 1s a transverse section through a form showing the truck or carriage in end" elevation, the dotted lines indicating the collapsed position of the form,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through i a form, showing the truck in sideelevation,

and

Figures' 5 and {i are side and end-elevations ofa modified form of truck.

Heretoforein the construction of center-- ing for conduits it has been considered necessary to provid'e specially constructed sections for those portions at which the conduits make a curve, which sections have to be made with great accuracy to fit the required curvature. The purpose of my invention is primarily to provide collapsible shells or seetions'which may be used either for making Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31, 1909- Application fil'ed llarch 1a, 1909. senaino. 484,228;

transverse meetin edges beveled, so that each section is slig tly longer at one edge or side than at the other. When it is desired to form a curve the short ed es orsides are all placed upon the same si e of the form, and when it is desired, to form a straight portion of the conduits the shells or sections are alternately reversed, so that on. each side of the form a short and long 'side alternate. 5 In order to provide for" the proper position ing and the transportation of the sections a truck is used havingaturn-table so that any section carried by the truck may be turned end for end and used either to form a straight 7 portion of the conduit or a curved portion thereofl The arts of each shell or section are preferably inged together, and thetu'rn table on the truck is preferably providedvvith supporting and-collapsing means for engaging: the interior of the shell in a. manner to be hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure l of the drawing indicates in diagrammatic plan view a series of shells or sections having their edges beveled or in- 30 clined so that either a straight or curved conduit may be formed therefrom. It will be seen by reference to this figure that each section has a long edge or side A and a short edge or side B, and that in the left hand por- 5' tion of the figure the shells or sections are alternately reversed so that a straight conduit is formed, andt h'at in the right hand portion of the figure the sections are arranged so that all of their short ed es B are upon one side of the conduit, and theirlong sides or ed' es A are upon the other side thereof, so hint a curved portion is formed. v'Ihe dotted lines 0 indicate the extension of the joints between the ends of the shells, and the inclination'or bevel is such that if these -lines C were produced or extended a suiiici ent distance they would meet at a common point which is the center of curvature about which the conduit is constructed. The curve means of cables to the lower sections 1 and 4, v

dicated in the dotted lines.

together along their meeting edges as illustrated. The lagging 5 is prefera 1y of sheet ironof a thickness depending upon the conditions, and this lagging is stiffened and supported by means of the tee irons 6 arranged circumferentially and riveted to the lagging. The lower edges of the form rest upon longitudinally extending timbers ,7 and 8 held in position by means of transverse braces 9 which braces at their inner edge take against longitudinally extending timbers 10 upon which'the rails 11 for carrying the truck are mounted. The means for hinging the parts constituting the shell together is illustrated in detail in Figure 2,

from which it will be seen that the opposing edges of adjacent sections as for 1n:- stance, 3 and 4 are provided with longitudinally extending angles 12 and 13 whose in-c tachable connection is secured.

In order to support, collapse and re-position the mold shells or sections the truck construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 is employed. This truckconsists of .a body portion 17 upon which is mounted a turntable-18 carrying the'supporting and expanding devices and pivoted to move about the vertical axis 19. This turn table 18 is provided with a standard 20 u on which is mounted a pair of upright hy raulic cylinders 21 provided with the piston rods 22 carrying at their upper ends the engaging brackets 23. The turn table is also provided upon each side with a pair of brackets 24 carrying the hydraulic cylinders 25, which cylinders are pivotally mounted at 26, and

are provided with the piston rods 27 whose outer ends are provided with loops adapted to be secured to the brackets 28 upon the tee irons 6, and whose rear ends 29 are provided with other loops adapted to be connected by in order to move them to the positions in- The cylinders may be turned to any desired position by means of the worm gears 30 operated from the hand wheels 31. The cylinders 21 and 25 are provided with fluid from the pump 32 operated by the motor 33.

In collapsing one of the shells, the timbers 7 and 8 are first removed, and the lower sections 1 and 4 are swung into the posit-ion indicated in dotted'lines, by means of cable connections to the rear ends of the operating piston rods 29, The other ends of the piston rods are then attached to the bracket 27 and fluid is admitted to the cylinders 21 and 25 to secure the lowering of the form and its inward movement to the position indicated in dotted lines. After being collapsed the truck may be moved along toa new psoition, and the cylinders operated to expand the form to its foperative position. The form may also when in collapsed position, be turned end for end by rotating the turn-table about its pivot- 19. ,A section may thus be used in the position in which it is originally collapsed, or if a curve is not to be formed and a reversal of the section-is necessary this may bereadily accomplished in the manner set forth. It

will be understood that the invention is not limited to a mold section made in four parts hinged together, or to the use of the, particular -means illustrated, but that the invention expanding and contracting comprehends the use of any and all varieties of expanding and contractin means, and the use of any and all types 0 collaps, ing sections wherein an alternate reversal provides a straight conduit, and wherein the placing of the sections with their short sides upon the same side of the conduit secures. a curved conduit section. v

In Figures 5 and 6 a modified construction of carrier or truck is shown, turnbuckles 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 bein employed instead of the hydraulic cylin ers of the other truck. The rods 39 extendin u ward from the turnbuckles 38 being e'ely slidable through the frame. A plurality of rollers 40 are provided to reduce the friction between the platform 41 constituting the lower portion of the turntable and the base of the framework 42 constituting the upper portion of the turntable. Y Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following 1. In a centering form, a plurality of straight collapsible shells adapted to be placed end to end and open at the bottom,

the said shells being tapered transversely whereby a straight form is secured when the shells. are alternately reversed and placed end to end, and a curved form is secured when the shells are placed so that their short I sides all he upon the same side of the form.

2. In combination, a centering form for conduits comprising a plurality of straight collapsible shells adapted to be placed end to end, the said shells being tapered transversely whereby a straight form is secured when the shells are alternately reversed and placed end to end, and a curved form is secured when the shells are placed so that their short sides all lie upon the same side of the form, shifting means for supporting the shells and turning them end for end, and a I truck supporting the shifting means for carrying the shells through the conduit.

3. In combination a centering form for conduits comprising a plurality of straight collapsible shells adapted to be placed end to end, the said shells being tapered transversely whereby a straight form is secured when the shells are alternately reversed and placed end to end, and a curved .form is secured when the shells are placed so that their short sides all lie upon thesame side of the form, means for supporting and col-' lapsing the shells, means whereby such supporting means inay be rotated to turn the collapsed shells end for end, and a truck upon which the supporting means aresubscribed witnesses. I

' CHARLES MQARTHUR.

' i Witnesses:

JAMES C. BRADLEY,

ARCHWORT'H MARTIN. 

